Stranger Things immediately zeroed in on a confusing detail hidden in season four once the Netflix hit’s latest batch of episodes dropped last weekend. You see, the events of Chapter Two were confirmed to be set on March 22, 1986 — as per the date on a camcorder screen — but, according to something Joyce said in season two, March 22 is Will’s birthday. So how come nobody mentioned it was the Byers boy’s big day?
This has led to a lot of debate online over whether this is something that’ll be addressed in season four, volume two or if it was just a plain ol’ goof. Well, it turns out it’s the latter. Variety spoke to creators the Duffer brothers and got them to answer many of our burning questions after volume one, including the mystery of Will’s missing birthday. With a heavy heart, Matt and Ross Duffer came clean that they completely forgot about the significance of that date.
Matt is noted to have sighed, before responding: “The honest response is, clearly like the characters in the show, we also forgot about Will’s birthday. So the debate now is whether we adjust Will’s birthday or we just let it be really sad.”
In their defense, Ross stressed that the season two line about Will’s birthday was written a long time ago. “It was six years ago that I wrote that date!” he joked.
Matt explained that they don’t have someone “who just keeps track of this stuff” for them, something they note that other creators such as George R.R. Martin and Stephen King possess. So it was simply a matter of human error that Will’s birthday slipped through the cracks, though they want us to know that they still really love Will. Matt continued:
“We don’t have that. So Ross and I, and my memory’s not great, but we love Will, and I don’t want people to think we don’t love Will because we forgot — we do! But now we mentioned Dustin’s birthday this season (laughs), so we’re being very careful for people not to forget, in case the timelines…”
The brothers then revealed that they may yet fix the continuity error by revisiting that season two scene and “George Lucas it,” referencing the Star Wars director’s retroactive editing of his movies. As Matt put it:
“We’re thinking his new birthday, Jenny, is going to be May 22nd, because “May” can fit in Winona’s mouth [in the Season 2 scene where Joyce says the date of Will’s birthday]. So that would be us George Lucas-ing the situation.”
Ross made clear that March 22 can’t be Will’s birthday anymore as it would mean his own mother forgot all about it. “It’s too mean,” he stressed. “It was obviously a mistake, and we’re sorry. We apologize to the fans.” Matt added that they also apologize to the character of Will. “It’s unfair,” he admitted.
So there you go. Keep a close eye on season two in case the Duffers do genuinely decide to George Lucas it in order to smooth out what is currently a major plot-hole. In the meantime, Stranger Things season four concludes on July 1.
